Economically viable pathways key to energy transition: Singapore’s chief climate negotiator

SINGAPORE – Amid the protracted energy crunch wrought by the Middle East conflict, Singapore urged the international community to chart economically viable, secure and resilient pathways towards clean energy for all countries.

At the close of an inaugural conference on phasing out fossil fuels, Singapore’s chief negotiator for climate change Joseph Teo said all countries must make a meaningful contribution to succeed in efforts to advance a just, orderly and equitable transition to net-zero emissions.

He also noted it was important to recognise that countries have different national circumstances.

“For countries like Singapore, with limited options to deploy renewable energy at scale, our path to net-zero will depend on technological breakthroughs and strengthened international cooperation,” he said on April 29.

The conference was held in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, where representatives from more than 50 governments met outside of the annual UN climate talks.

Ministers and envoys at the conference included those from major fossil fuel producers Canada, Norway and Australia, coal-reliant markets Turkey and Vietnam, as well as small island nations vulnerable to climate change like Tuvalu.

The war in the Middle East has caused a historic global energy crisis, sending prices soaring and making energy security a prominent theme at the conference.

Mr Teo outlined several ways that the conference can make positive contributions.

It can help bring together stakeholders to rapidly scale up technologies that accelerate the energy transition, lowering costs in the process, he said.

“While low-carbon alternatives such as geothermal and nuclear energy are mature technologies, other promising pathways like hydrogen and ammonia remain nascent and require greater effort and investment to increase commercial viability and strengthen supply chains.”

He added that Singapore hopes the conference will give a big push towards critical infrastructure and systems that would allow low-carbon energy to flow easily across borders.

“While regional grids are essential, we must also modernise domestic grids to manage the challenges of intermittency arising from a higher share (of) renewables,” he said.

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind can fluctuate based on weather conditions, requiring systems that can ensure the stability and reliability of power supplies.

Mr Teo said the conference could also focus on helping countries put in place policy and regulatory frameworks that make clean and renewable energy a more attractive investment option than fossil fuels.

This includes policies such as a moratorium on coal and the use of carbon credits to finance decarbonisation projects.

Lastly, he suggested that the conference can develop financial instruments to raise the much-needed finance for the clean energy transition.

Mr Teo said Singapore welcomes the work to develop a list of practical solutions for the energy transition, as well as the international cooperation mechanisms to implement them.

Under the shadow of the Middle East conflict, countries at the conference agreed to coordinate in building national and regional road maps to move away from fossil fuels, align cross-border trade policies and find solutions to systemic finance traps.

The summit, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, was first announced at the UN climate conference in 2025 due to frustration over years of deadlock in negotiations on the phasing out of fossil fuels.

Climate change think-tank E3G said the Santa Marta conference reflected growing recognition that transitioning away from fossil fuels is central to long-term energy security, affordability and stability.

“Set against the backdrop of recent energy shocks and persistent price volatility, the message is clear: Fossil fuel dependence is not only a climate risk, but a structural economic and security vulnerability,” it said.

Ireland and Tuvalu were announced as co-hosts of the next iteration of the conference in 2027.